No end in sight for Mabton's water woes

MABTON - The water pressure in Mabton is still very low, but apparently the pressure to get the water situation back to normal is starting to rise. Residents have started complaining about the loss of water pressure, while city officials urge patience as repairs continue to be made on the disabled Mabton well #4. According to Mabton Public Works Supervisor Chris Morris, the repairs are still a long way from being complete. "We discovered the well casing was 90 percent blocked, which accounted for the well pump failure," Morris explained. Repairs on the casing need to be made before the pump can be put back on-line, he added. "We still have to get parts for the pump and need time to reconfigure the system before we can go back on line. "It may still be another month before the water situation is back to normal," he said. Meanwhile, Yakima's Picatti Brothers crews are working on the well repairs, said Morris. The city is now using well #5 until well #4 goes back on line, he added. The city water supply was interrupted on July 18, after city officials discovered that Mabton well # 4 had failed. Since that time the city has urged residents to conserve water, watering gardens and lawns on odd or even days according to their house address numbers. "We're also asking that residents not wash their cars or fill their swimming pools until the water emergency has been lifted," said Morris. Once the city storage tanks are refilled, the pressure should be back to normal in the community, ..."but that is still a ways off," he added.